Mark Heathcote, his son Content, and their family establish the isolated settlement of Wish-Ton-Wish in the Connecticut wilderness, creating a disciplined Puritan household protected by fields, palisades, and constant vigilance. The arrival of a mysterious stranger hints at political secrets and connections to Heathcote's past, while increasingly suspicious signs in the surrounding forest disturb the settlement's fragile security. As uneasiness grows, the family realizes that the peaceful home they have built stands dangerously close to a world of gathering conflict.
